His Majesty's DOG
by Calfuray
Summary: Black Hayate is courageous, loyal, and true. After following the turtles home one night, he is quickly adopted as their new pet, and leaves behind his life as a stray for a new home and a bright, shiny collar. The only problem: Hayate isn't really a dog.
1. Tramp

**His Majesty's  
_DOG_**

**Chapter One: Tramp**

* * *

When he had first joined the Purple Dragons, his gang had named him Black Hayate. Since then, there had been many times in Hayate's life when he'd been sure he was going to die. Every time he was certain it was the last, and every time he just barely managed to escape with his hide…whether or not it was intact was another matter, entirely. 

Gripping his lead pipe, he backed up against the wall as the monsters edged closer, their weapons glittering in the moonlight. The sai were the scariest, or perhaps that was just because they were in the hands of Red, and Red scared him shitless. Probably because he was the most ferocious creature Hayate had ever come across. And Hayate had come across Red many times.

"Well, well, always glad to see a familiah face," the turtle smirked. Apparently, Red recognized him, too.

"I aim to please," Hayate replied, holding the pipe like a broad sword and knowing it wouldn't do him any good. His eyes darted, looking for an escape route, but there was none to be had. Blue made sure of that, while Orange cracked jokes in the background and generally acted liked a retard. Hayate had fought them so many times he was almost used to it.

"I should put ya out of yer misery," Red snorted, advancing slowly, and the sais glinted in the dark. "You're gettin' ta be a pest, showin' up all the time like this. I'm gettin' kinda sick of it."

"Well then, why don't you surrender?" Hayate quipped, earning himself a slash to the throat. He ducked, and rapped Red's shins with the pipe. Hard. The turtle snarled and spun faster than Hayate would have believed possible, heel catching him in the temple and throwing him against a wall. The Dragon shook it off and gained his feet quickly, weaving through Orange's nunchukus, leapt over Purple's staff and brought his foot down on Red.

At least he tried to, before Red dodged to the side and nicked his rib with those devilish weapons of his. Hayate staggered and whirled, swinging the pipe at what he hoped to be Red's head, but hit nothing but air. Instinctively, he rolled forward and just barely avoided being crushed as Red came down with terrifying force where his head used to be.

"Having trouble there, Raph?" Orange snickered from the sidelines. "Need a hand beating a widdle kid?"

"Shut up Mikey!" Red barked and lunged forward, clipping Hayate's brow with the handle of one of his sais. Suddenly Hayate's vision went black for a second and he reeled back, then flip-flopped onto his hands and kicked up with both feet, cracking Red under the chin.

"Raph!" cried Blue, but Red let out a furious roar and was abruptly all over the Dragon—raining down punches, kicks, thrusts, slashes, stabs—and his sais sang through the air in their deadly dance, a pair of silver streaks in the night. Hayate tried to block, even managed a strike to Red's side, but it only served to enrage the beast more and soon the pipe had been knocked from his hands entirely.

Hayate felt something crack in his wrist as Red hurled him to the ground, and he finally lay still, curled painfully on his side and panting hard. Ice pressed against his throat and he realized it was those awful sais, their owner crouched over him with murder in his eyes. Hayate took a painful breath and looked away, his gaze falling on one of his comrades slumped against the wall beneath a streak of blood…

"No, Raph," ordered a voice—Blue's, Hayate thought—and Red snarled wordlessly. "It's done."

"It ain't over, Leo," was the harsh reply. "Not till he's good and dead—"

"I said no, Raphael!" Blue snapped, restrained anger in his voice. "You beat him enough, and he's unarmed!"

Then Red's weight was hauled from Hayate's chest, and he coughed, tasting blood on his tongue. Slowly, he pushed himself to his elbows and glanced at the two arguing turtles. Just like that it seemed he'd been forgotten. Pulling his feet under him he readied for a jump, when something tapped his shoulder. Turing his head he found the bo staff resting against his cheek, with Purple on the other end.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the turtle chided. "Just sit tight and be a good boy for your betters till the police get here."

"Stuff it, freak," Hayate spat, wrenched the staff from Purple's hands, and rammed it between his eyes. The reptile let out a yelp and stumbled back as Hayate jumped up and faced the other three.

"Great, Fearless, now look what ya've done; he's got a weapon again. Happy?" Red groused.

"I'll admit you're pretty good, kid," Blue said. "But this ends now."

All Hayate remembered was Blue rushing for him, and then everything went black.

This just wasn't his day.

.xXx.

Hayate awoke slowly and moaned softly, hearing sirens. Lifting his head, he was just in time to see a near-by man-hole cover drop into place. He could see the pigs' lights now, and tried to get up, but everything hurt. Biting back a whimper he pushed himself to his knees and crawled for the man-hole, his hand brushing over Tommy's pistol. Tommy wouldn't need it anymore, having been the first to fall, and without thinking Hayate shoved it in his pants and scrabbled at the steel cover. His wrist ached like a bitch, shooting lances up his arm every time he moved it, but he finally lowered himself into New York's stinking sewers and pulled the top over him just as the first cop appeared in the alley.

The stench down there was so thick Hayate could taste it, and he shuddered at the slickness of the ladder, surprised he didn't fall before he reached the bottom. There were voices up ahead, boisterous and triumphant, and fading quickly. Hayate quickly limped after them, careful to keep to the shadows and to remain silent.

They had failed. It was supposed to be such an easy mission, but then somebody decided to rape the store clerk, and that had brought the freaks down on them. It was supposed to go off without a hitch, an easy haul, no problem. But they had failed, and what's worse, they'd been beaten. Hun was going to be angry, and with Hayate as the only survivor, he'd receive the full brunt of it.

He knew he'd be a dead man if he returned to the hideout now; not after what happened. It made his insides crawl and shiver just thinking about it, and that was why he was following the turtles. If he could report their location to Hun this little mess would be forgotten completely.

Thankfully, their lair wasn't too far, and as Hayate rounded the corner he spotted Red disappearing through a door; a very large, very high-tech door of enforced steel and impassability. There was no way he was getting through there, but then again, he didn't have to. He'd leave that to the ninjas.

Mission completed, Hayate slipped away to look for the nearest ladder when he ran straight into one of the prettiest red-heads he'd ever seen. She was about a head taller than he was, her crimson hair pulled back in a loose braid, and a look of utter shock in her blue eyes.

They stared at one another in surprise, but Hayate gained his composure first and flashed her a cheeky grin.

"You know, you have beautiful eyes."

"You're…you're a…" she stammered, her eyes darting to the little Chinese dragon wrapped around his upper arm, and he knew she was about to scream. Moving fast, he pinned her to the wall, one hand over her mouth and the other fist raised as if to strike.

"Look lady, one sound and I swear I'll knock your teeth out," he hissed softly, his eyes glinting with what he hoped to be violent savagery. "Let's just back up real quiet…"

It was then that she bit him, and then started screaming at the tops of her lungs. Almost immediately, the turtle's door swung open and all four appeared in the tunnel, spotting him at once.

"Crud," Hayate muttered. This _really_ wasn't his day.

"**_Let her go_**_ **NOW!**_" Blue ordered in cold fury, drawing his katana with a vicious _shhhhhnk. _Hayate froze for a second, entranced by those twin killers and his own fear, before he reached for the gun and pressed it against the woman's temple.

"Back off, or I'll blow her fucking brains out," he said quietly. That got their attention. They stopped dead in their tracks in stark terror, and for a moment it was a stand-still. Neither side moved a muscle, nerves pulled tight and tension thick in the air.

"Drop your weapons," Hayate said, his voice still soft and calm. It was scaring him to death. They obeyed at once, and set their weapons on the ground, watching his every movement. Hayate backed up slowly, never loosening his grip on the woman, gaze fixed on the turtles as they slowly matched him step for step.

"No. No, stay there," he ordered sharply, getting a little panicky. "You stay right there."

"Please, you don't want to do this," said a new voice as what could only be described as a giant rat came into view. This was the first time Hayate had seen him, and for a moment he paused to assess this new thing.

_Ehh, I've seen weirder,_ he thought, and that was that. He glared at the rat and shook his head.

"The hell I don't," he answered, putting in as much brutish malice as he could. "Just don't move and I won't hurt her."

"No…! You can't—!" Orange cried desperately, starting forward in a panic and Hayate swung the pistol towards him, aiming for the ground at his feet, and pulled the trigger.

_Click._

Hayate froze in absolute horror. _Oh god, NO…_

With a grimace of complete dread and dismay, he pulled the trigger again.

_Click. Click._

Finally Hayate flipped open the cartridge, and found what he knew he would find. No bullets. Not a God.

Damned.

One.

"**_FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**"

Howling in unadulterated outrage, and frustrated beyond reason, he flung the gun as hard as he could in the turtles' general direction, shoving the woman after it. Then he turned and ran.

But he didn't see the cat. It must have come up behind him, and had just rubbed up against his ankles when he'd whirled around. His feet got caught and he stumbled, trying not to step on it, twisted and landed hard on his back.

"Nnnnn…" he moaned and sat up to find the tip of Blue's katana inches from his nose. Blankly, his eyes traveled up the length of the blade, up Blue's arm and finally came to rest on the turtle's face. Disgruntled, he leaned back on his elbows and let out an exasperated sigh.

"This just isn't my bloody day," he groused to no one in particular.

"Guess so," Purple agreed before he struck Hayate cold.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. But neither do you. Nya-nya.**

This idea just popped in my head at three in the morning and it wouldn't leave me alone so I just HAD to write it. I've always loved the Turtles anyway, so yeah. But I feel silly admitting it. Sometimes I wonder just how old I am….

Calfuray


	2. Collared

**His Majesty's  
_DOG_  
**

**Chapter Two: Collared**

* * *

Raphael let out a small breath of relief, and belted his sais. Thinking twice, though, he took them out again and eyed the kid warily. 

"You sure he's down for good dis time?" he asked, nudging the Dragon with his foot.

"He's unconscious, don't worry," Donatello assured him, checking the boy's vitals. "Tough little bugger, though."

"You're telling me," Michelangelo agreed. "April, you okay?"

"Yeah, m'fine," she replied, a little shakily, and leaned against the wall. "He just scared me half to death, that's all."

"Well, ya gotta admit, that was kind of funny when he found out his gun was empty," Mikey chuckled. "I mean, that _reaction_! And then tripping over Klunk—priceless!"

"Yeah, but we bettah make sure he won't do that again," Raph growled, and started for the boy, but Don pulled him back.

"Hold on," the purple-masked turtle said, his brow knitted in that particular way it got whenever he got an idea.

"What? Why can't I just gut 'im?" Raph all but whined, exasperated. "He's a Dragon, he's been givin' us trouble fer weeks, he just _threatened_ April, and he knows about de lair! What more do ya need? It's not like we ain't killed 'em before."

"Aheheheh. No, I got a better idea," Don grinned, chuckling. "Bring him inside."

"_What?_" Leonardo demanded, whirling on Don.

"Donny, are you retarded?" Raph wanted to know, but Don ignored him.

"Just bring him to the lab; I'll explain there," he said, his eyes glinting in a rather unsettling type of way. Raph stared after him, then shook his head and grabbed the kid's arm.

"Er, Raphie, I think that's the arm we broke…" Mikey started.

"Yeah, I know," Raph replied, and dragged the Dragon inside. Mikey shrugged and followed after him, Leo and Master Splinter close on his heels. When Raph entered Don's lab, his little brother was already at his computer, fingers flying over the keys.

"Lay him on the bed over there," Don said, not taking his eyes from the screen, and waving towards the bed's general direction.

"Donny, what de hell?" Raph wailed, unable to believe what he was hearing even as he dumped the kid on the mattress. "Why are we doin' dis?"

"Yes, that's something I would like to know, as well," Master Splinter added as he came into the lab, resting his paws upon the head of his cane and looking at Don expectantly.

"We all would," Leo said, crossing his arms. But Don just grinned wider.

"I've been thinking about the problem we've had with the Dragons lately," he began. "We all know their numbers are growing, and it's always been hard to know what their next move will be. We just go on patrols and hope we catch them, and we usually do only _after_ they've done something. Now, if we had a _spy_…"

"I get what you're saying, but Donny, there's no way this kid'll spy on his own gang for us," Leo pointed out. "We've beaten him into the ground on_several_ occasions, might I remind you."

"Amazin' he's lived dis long and keeps comin' back for more," Raph muttered, sending the boy a dark look. "Little cockroach…"

"Well, no, he won't do it on his own, not without some…_incentive_," Don agreed.

"What did you have in mind?" April asked.

"Well, if we had a way to control him, a collar so to speak, I think he might be more willing to listen to what we have to say," Don replied. "Actually, I think a collar would do quite nicely. Like a shock collar, something we could send a signal to that would…punish him for misbehavior. Course, I'd add a few extras..."

"Waaaait a minute. This…sounds kind of like enslavement," April said slowly.

"Naaaahhh….Well. Maybe a little," Don conceded. "But it's better than the alternative. He just…gets the privilege of being our pet for a while."

Mikey was grinning ear to ear at the prospects, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation. "Man, Donny sometimes you have the _best_ideas!"

"I don't know about this, my sons," Splinter said uncertainly, shooting a worried glance at the boy, as if he might leap up any second and beat them all to death. "Having one of the Shredder's brood in our home does not sit well with me. It could be dangerous."

"Master, this could be the only way to discover what the Shredder is planning. This just might give us the edge we need," Don argued. "I agree there are risks, but I don't think he'll be a problem. Once we have the collar on him, he'll do whatever we say."

"Or else," Raph added with vindictive satisfaction.

"Are you even listening to yourselves?" Leo cried, staring around at them all in astonishment. "We're talking about _enslaving_ a human here! What are we going to tell him, that if he doesn't spy on his gang for us we'll tear his head off?"

"Blow his head off, to be more precise," Don interjected, earning a horrified look from Leo. "I thought I'd put a small explosive in it, as a safety precaution in case he does attempt to sabotage us."

"_Donny!_"

"Leo, we would have killed him anyway," Don said quietly. "There's no way we can trust him not to talk—if we let him go Scott-free we'd have to move again or risk the Foot coming down on our heads in the morning. With the collar, we have a way of knowing when and where they'll strike next."

"Yeah, so can we pleeeeease keep him?" Mikey cajoled hopefully. "Pretty please?"

"This still doesn't feel right…"

"Oh come _on_, Fearless, shove it!" Raph burst out. "For once put dat rotten sense of honah away and listen ta reason! He's just a stupid_Dragon_."

That seemed to clinch it for Leo, and the blue-banded turtle nodded curtly. Mikey let out a joyful whoop and punched the air, as Don and Raph grinned.

"We're gonna have so much _fun_ with this!"

"Just be careful," Splinter cautioned. "Even a chained dog will bite if given the chance."

"Ha! We'll scare him so bad he won't so much as show his teeth!" Mikey laughed.

"Yes, well, I'll need a few days to make this thing," Don said, turning back to his computer. "So we'll have to drug him for a while so he'll stay under."

.xXx.

Hayate couldn't remember the last time he'd ever slept so well, or for so long. But when he finally did wake up, it was gradually and with a great deal less pain than he'd expected. His wrist was only a distant twinge, and the rest of him felt much better than the last time he'd been awake.

_Thank god it was only a dream…_ he thought in relief, smiling softly. But something wasn't right. It took a few moments for his groggy mind to grasp what exactly that was, though, and when he finally did get it he felt the bottom of his stomach drop out.

He was handcuffed to a chair.

Raising his head slightly, he could just make out the rather blurry form of a very large turtle sitting not five feet away, typing madly at his keyboard. Upon further inspection Hayate realized he was sitting in some sort of lab, like the ones mad scientists kept in their basements, complete with an array of discomforting tools and objects of agony and torture. Hayate's heart began to thump harder, and his insides fluttered with the beginnings of panic.

_Okay, calm down,_ he told himself, taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to regain control. _Just think. What do I need to do?_

"How's it coming, Donny?"

Hayate quickly faked unconsciousness, inwardly grimacing. It was Blue.

_At least it's not Red,_ he thought. He always tried to look on the bright side of things. It kept him from insanity. As inconspicuously as possible, Hayate started working on the cuffs, trying to free his hands without alerting the turtles. He was a natural escape artist, so if they didn't look too closely…

"…Almost finished it," Purple was saying. "I just need to make a few minor adjustments, and then we can try it out on him."

That didn't sound good.

Hayate worked harder at the cuffs, and had just managed to slip out his un-sprained wrist when his least favorite person in the world came tromping in. Red was a little heavier-footed than the other three—his brothers, Hayate surmised—and the Dragon had encountered him so many times he could recognize those footfalls instantly.

Immediately, his breath caught in his throat and it was all he could do to keep from tensing up. He was supposed to be asleep, after all.

_Calm down, calm down, calm down…_

"You done wit' dat t'ing yet?" Red asked, impatience shading his gruff, thick New York accent. Hayate had always wondered about that; none of the others had accents quite so pronounced. Then again, it seemed Red liked to frequent the streets a lot more than his brothers did.

"Almost, Raph."

Gulping, Hayate risk a glance up at them through his lashes. They were standing with their backs to him, staring at something Purple was tinkering with. A wild flash of hope lit Hayate's eyes when he found the door was wide open, and the path was clear. It was his last chance to escape, and he was readying himself to bolt when Orange came prancing in, followed by that cat.

That cat then proceeded to jump up in his lap, and Hayate frowned in irritation.

_This is all **your** fault,_ he thought darkly at the animal, sighing inwardly as his brief shot for freedom was blocked. But perhaps it was not entirely hopeless. They didn't know he'd slipped his cuffs…

.xXx.

"Hey, would someone get this stupid cat off of me?"

Raph and the others jumped and whirled in surprise to find the boy wide awake and glaring defiantly at them, Klunk sitting quite comfortably in his lap.

"I thought ya said he'd stay asleep," Raph muttered, shooting an accusing look at Don, who merely shrugged.

"He's astonishingly resilient," was all he said.

"Come on, he's digging his claws in my leg!" the boy griped, shifting uncomfortably. Mikey giggled.

"Aw, he likes you."

"Yeah, we'll see about that when I kick him," the Dragon snapped. Mikey looked scandalized and hurried forward to take his pet.

"Now, wait a minute, dude—" he started, and cut off sharply when the boy suddenly grabbed Klunk and flung him into Mikey's face. The turtle let out a shriek as the feline's claws dug into his cheek, and staggered back as the boy shot to his feet and body-slammed him, knocking Mikey into Leo, who had jumped forward. Then the Dragon was off like a rocket and running along the table, upsetting anything in his way and breaking the rest as he bolted full-tilt for the door, yelling like a maniac all the way.

The turtles were too shocked to react until after he was out in the living room and making a break for the exit, before they gathered themselves and took off after him with a roar of fury. Raph whipped out a sai and flung it, but the Dragon swerved to the left and it zinged off the floor near his feet.

Don, however, leapt for his computer and ordered an immediate lock down. The door that had slid open for the Dragon suddenly snapped back into place just as the boy reached it. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have enough time to stop and crashed straight into it at an all out run. Screaming in frustration, he slammed a fist into it as hard as he could, and slumped against it, panting.

"Dis just ain't your week, kid," Raph smirked, edging closer. The boy gave him a filthy look and threw a punch, but he was still a little drunk off the stuff Don had been giving him, and Raph easily caught his fist and twisted him arms behind his back. "Pipe down, ya little pest, an' come along. Ya've caused enough trouble already."

"Let go you stinking heap of snot!" the boy yelled, twisting and jumping and struggling every which way. "Bastard! Asshole! Sonovabitch!"

"Raphael, is everything alright?" Splinter asked, poking his head out of his bedroom, and spotted the boy. His eyes narrowed at once, and his tail lashed.

"Brat's just causin' trouble again, nothin' ta worry about," Raph assured him. The boy slammed his foot down on Raph's toes, and the turtle grunted angrily and wrenched the kid's arm savagely, eliciting a hiss of pain. Still, the Dragon fought him all the way back to the lab, shouting every curse word imaginable so as to make even a sailor blush. Raph would have grinned in admiration if he wasn't so pissed. As it was, he was way more powerful than the little human in his hands, so it didn't matter how much the boy thrashed.

"Donny, is dat collar finished yet?" he demanded, reentering the lab. Don glanced up from the mess of newly broken junk strewn across his floor and gave the boy a black look.

"Yeah, let's get it on him before he tries anything else," Don said, picking up the collar and moving towards the Dragon. But one look at it and the boy jerked back into Raph and fought even harder, ducking his head so Don couldn't get at his neck.

"Oh come on," Raph scowled, and put his hand under the kid's chin to bring his head up, when the little shit banged his head into Raph's snout and sunk his teeth into the ninja's hand. Raph let out a bellow of pain and tried to shake him off, but the boy hung on grimly, like a ferocious dog that refused to let go.

"GET HIM OFF ME!!!" Raph shouted, unwilling to let go of the boy's other arm in order to strike him. Mikey jumped to the rescue and tried to pry his jaws apart, only to get bitten himself. Finally, between the two of them they managed to hold him still long enough for Raph to pull the Dragon's head back by his hair so Don could fix the collar around his neck.

"Alright, let him go," Don ordered and Mikey and Raph let the kid yank out of their grasp.

"The hell is this?" he demanded furiously, tugging at the steel ring.

"Your new collar," Don smirked. "You've been such a nuisance lately we decided you needed to be restrained. I wouldn't do that, by the way. It's set to explode if you take it off."

The Dragon immediately quit touching it and backed up, glaring in venomous hatred, fists clenched and teeth bared.

"What do you want?" he spat out.

"Your complete and utter loyalty, for starters," Don replied.

"Sorry, I don't take orders from the enemy."

"Yes, well, you _might_ want to reconsider that," Don said. "You see I've installed quite an array of gadgets into that collar of yours. In addition to a microphone, at the touch of a button I can electrocute, strangle, paralyze, stop your heart, or even behead you if you don't do exactly as we say. Get the picture?"

The boy stared at him in stunned horror, before his eyes flared and he lunged for the turtle.

"BASTARD!!!"

Don held up his remote and twisted a knob, causing the collar to cinch slowly around the kid's neck. He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide with the beginnings of panic as his hand flew to the collar. It was not long before he started coughing as it squeezed tighter and tighter until he was on his knees and gasping for breath.

"Do we have an understanding?" Don asked, inwardly cringing as he loosened the collar. The look in the kid's eyes was awful, but he knew he needed to get the point across. This boy had to learn exactly who was boss, or they would all be in danger.

"Piss off…" the kid panted, and Don sighed.

"Look, what's your name?"

"Piss off."

"Do you even have a name?"

"Piss off."

"We're not getting' anywhere!" Raph burst out, and shoved the kid with his foot. "Listen you little tramp, you better behave or you're gonna be pushin' up daisies sooner dan you t'ink."

The boy staggered up, leaning on the table and shot daggers at Raph. "Go to hell, freak."

Don sighed and pressed another button. The kid yelped as his legs collapsed beneath him and he found himself on his knees again before a very angry Raphael. The turtle shook, fists tight at his sides, gritting his teeth. Then he abruptly grabbed the front of the Dragon's shirt and slammed him against the wall, seeming to tower over the very much alarmed boy, a sai pressed against his throat.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. But Black Hayate is mine.**

Hello and welcome to the second chapter of _His Majesty's DOG_! First of all, I'd like to thank those people who reviewed, and I really appreciate your support! Thanks especially to Reinbeauchaser for your deliciously long review and advice. Don't worry, I've mapped out a rather intriguing (not to mention complicated) plot, so you can expect a damn good story. Yeah, I know I'm pretty confident, but I've been writing stories since I was in Kindergarten. Okay, okay, I'm actually pretty full of myself. Shut up...

Anyway! The main point of this story has been revealed! I do hope I pulled it off alright, though...It was really the collar idea that caught me and wouldn't let go. I thought it might be interesting, but the only way I could do it was to make Hayate a Dragon. I don't think the turtles would be too adverse to doing this if it were a Dragon. Which works quite well, considering where I want to go with it. Also, someone's already noticed little Hayate's rather refined manner. There's a reason for that, too. He has an...interesting background. All will be explained in time.

As to Hayate's name, it means 'squall' or 'hurricane'. I think it fits him--he certainly squalls enough, don't you think? Okay, bad pun. However, though I own the character, I did not come up with the name. I got that from one of my absolute favorite animes, _Fullmetal Alchemist_. No, that's not a misspelling, computer. Anywho, there's a character in there who names her dog Black Hayate. You should check it out sometime, it's really good.

That's all for now,

Calfuray

**  
**


	3. Obedience Training

**His Majesty's  
_DOG_**

**Chapter Three: Obedience Training**

* * *

"You're nothin' but a stinkin' dog," Red hissed, his breath hot on Hayate's cheeks. "A low-life little cur, and I've got no problem with killin' you where ya stand. Ya either obey like a good little mutt, or the police'll be haulin' out your worthless carcass with the rest of yesterday's trash. Get it, tramp?" 

Hayate ducked his head, refusing to let the monster see the hurt in his eyes.

"…not a dog…" he murmured.

"What?"

"My name is Black Hayate, and I am not a dog!" Hayate shouted, bringing his head up in fiery defiance, and through sheer power of will drove his knee up as hard as he could between Red's legs. The turtle let out a strangled sound, doubling over in pain and releasing his hold on Hayate, who slid soundlessly to the ground.

"You little shit…!" Red gasped, leaning on the table for support.

"Raph, are you alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright, Mikey?" Red snapped. "Fucking brat! Just kill him, there's no way we're breakin' that stray. He's too god damned wild."

"Raph—" Blue began warningly, but Red grabbed the control from Purple's hand without warning, pointed it at Hayate and punched a button. There was second in which the Dragon could only stare in panic, his muscles seizing, before the collar sent several jolts of electricity lancing through his nerves. Suddenly everything was on fire, and in torture his spine arched as he threw back his head and screamed, raw agony ripping out his lungs for what seemed like an eternity…

"Raph, turn it off!" someone shouted frantically, snatching the control and switching it off. And just as quickly as it began, the pain stopped and Hayate slumped to the floor, shaking uncontrollably, eyes fogged over, crying softly in his throat. Suddenly, it seemed that everything had just been beaten out of him—all his fury, his defiance, his pride had gone and in place of that void was an overwhelming fear. Just in that moment, death seemed so much closer than it ever had before.

It was not as if he was new to death; he had tasted it on several occasions, but when it came right down to it he would do anything to keep on living just a little longer. Even if it meant betraying the Dragons, his own family, then so be it.

_Coward…_whispered a voice in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away.

_I don't want to die…_

But he knew that this time there would be no escape.

.xXx.

For several seconds no one moved nor spoke, Raph standing rooted to the spot, staring down at the boy with haunted eyes, his sai slipping from numb fingers. Quietly, Mikey slipped past him and laid a tentative hand on Hayate's shoulder.

"You okay…?" he asked softly.

"Don't touch me…" the boy groaned, trying pathetically to move away but only managed a few inches. The last of his consciousness was pretty much gone anyway, and he moaned softly before he finally passed out.

"What happened?" demanded a sharp voice, and they turned to find Splinter in the doorway. No one spoke.

"Master, I…" Raph finally said, but he choked off and remained silent, his breathing harsh and cracked. "I didn't mean…"

Splinter gave him an unreadable look, before nodding slowly. "I will speak with you in my chambers, Raphael. Donatello, help our…guest back to the bed. I believe he has had enough for one day."

.xXx.

When Hayate next awoke it took a moment for him to get his bearings. It wasn't long, though, before everything came rushing back and he reached up to finger the collar. It was thick and heavy, ice cold to the touch, and terribly uncomfortable. Groaning, he rolled over and buried his face in his pillow.

"I see you're finally awake."

Compulsively, Hayate's fists clenched at the voice and he took a steadying breath to try and calm down. "What do you want?"

"Your name's Hayate, right?"

"S'what the Dragons called me." He still hadn't looked up to see which turtle he was talking to, but he thought it might be Purple.

"Is there a last name?"

"No."

Purple was quiet for a moment, and Hayate certainly wasn't about to start any conversations soon. He was pretty sure this turtle had made the collar, so he could just rot in hell for all the Dragon cared.

"Well, if you're feeling better, you should really…"

"I have a headache. Forever."

"Well, there are a few things to go over with you…"

"Yeah, yeah, spy on the Dragons, I know," Hayate bit back venomously. "I'm your humble servant. Got it."

However, he made no move to get out of bed, and he could tell Purple was growing impatient.

"Get out of bed, Tramp."

Hayate felt his gut twist, recognizing Red's voice in a heartbeat. He could almost feel the beast's smirk as he flinched, not wanting to look up but knowing he had to. A war raged in his mind, his sense of self-preservation battling with his sense of pride. He wanted to run, to fight, to scream, and to hide all simultaneously and in the chaos he froze. But then there was a jolt, just a little shock from the collar that lasted hardly a second. Hayate let out a yelp and bolted up, nearly falling off the bed, and came face to face with Red's ugly mug. Gasping he jerked back sharply, but the turtle's hand flashed and seized hold of the collar, yanking Hayate forward so their noses were just inches apart.

"You. Will. Obey." Red punctuated each syllable with a jerk, then released him and walked towards the door. "Come."

Hayate slid silently off the bed and followed Red out into the living room where he found the other two turtles and the rat waiting for him. As he left Purple's lab, though, there was a twinge at the back of his neck and he jumped. Glancing back, he saw Purple smirking.

"That jolt you just felt was the electric field coming on around my lab," the turtle informed him. "From now on you will be prohibited from entering here, or any one of our bedrooms." He gestured towards the various doors up on the second floor. "You will only be allowed in the common room and kitchen. The microphone in your collar will keep us updated on anything going on with the Dragons, so you don't need to report here unless signaled."

To demonstrate, Purple held up the controller and pushed a button, making the collar gently vibrate. "Any time you feel that, you will come straight here as soon as possible. It's not a two-way signal, though. We'll be able to hear you, but you won't hear us. Each of us has one of these programmed into their Shell-Cell, as well as a tracking device so we will know where you are at all times. Also, the collar's waterproof, so you won't need to worry about getting it wet. Understood?"

"Yeah," Hayate resigned quietly, unable to even look at them. "Can I go?"

"Yes."

At that, Hayate turned on his heel and made for the door.

"Don't forget," Red called after him. "You know what'll happen if you turn on us."

"No, Red," Hayate murmured. "I won't forget that."

.xXx.

"Hey, Donny? Can I come in?" Mikey asked from the laboratory's doorway. Don looked up from his computer and smiled.

"Of course," he replied, giving an invitatory wave. "…Just try not to break anything."

Mikey came eagerly forward and leaned his shell against the table, giving Don a sideways, if lop-sided grin. Yet, there was something a bit off about him. He looked almost nervous, and kept shifting from one foot to the other, fiddling with one of Klunk's many cat-toys.

"I…I wanted to ask you something," he said at length.

"Sure. What's on your mind?" Don asked, his eye-ridges clinking together in mild concern with an almost audible click.

"Well, it's about…Hayate…"

"Ah." Don sat back in his chair, nodding in understanding.

"I gotta ask, Donny," Mikey hurried on. "Did you really put a…_bomb_…in that collar?"

Don sighed and his gaze drifted back to his computer, staring unseeingly at the screen. "It_would_ be the sensible thing to do."

"But—if he ever tried to tell anyone we could've just zapped him, right?" Mikey asked, though his stomach twisted a little at that thought.

"True…but what if someone found out about the collar?" Don asked. "What if Shredder found out? He'd wring every bit of information from Hayate that he could, despite the collar—I doubt that kid would think twice about spilling our whereabouts, especially in face of Shredder's…persuasions. Then where would we be, with way to stop him from divulging that sort of knowledge?"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense…" Mikey said uncertainly. "But still…"

"That was the logical thing to do, anyway," Don went on, sighing. "But in the end I just couldn't go through with it."

Mikey stared at his brother for a moment before the shadow in his eyes lifted and a smile lit his face. "I _knew_ you wouldn't ever do something like that!" he cried in naked relief, clapping Don's carapace heartily, eliciting a slightly abashed grin from the purple-banded turtle.

"Yes, well, nevertheless there's really no reason to tell that to the Dragon," he smirked, his eyes glinting with something like devilish mischief.

"Gotcha, bro," Mikey laughed. "Good night, Donny."

"Sleep well, Mikey."

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. Back, lawyers, back!**

I'm not quite sure if kneeing Raph in the nads would really work all that well on account of his shell, but for the purposes of this story, let's just say it does. Now, some people have expressed concerns that Splinter and the turtles are being a little too harsh with Hayate—remember, he _is_ a Purple Dragon, and he did threaten to kill April. Honestly, they really haven't mistreated him that much, except for the whole electrocuting thing, but it was an accident and Raph is sorry. Although, I'm very happy you all care enough about Hayate enough that you'd bring this up in the first place. Apparently, I must be doing something right. Hooray for me!

Anywho, more on Hayate's past will be coming up in later chapters. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!

Cal


	4. Dogs Have Teeth

**His Majesty's**  
_**DOG**_

**Chapter Four:  
Dogs Have Teeth**

* * *

Hayate yelped when he struck the wall, stars bursting across his vision as he cracked his head, and slid panting to the floor. His cheek stung where Hun had back-fisted him, and he peered up through his bangs as the man came to stand over him. 

.xXx.

Donatello flinched as the sound of Hayate's body hitting something hard came over the speaker with sickening clarity. After he'd left Hayate had gone straight home and slept until that evening when he crawled out of bed and set out. Now the boy's signal was coming from an old abandoned warehouse in downtown New York, in what Don surmised to be the Dragon's nest.

Behind him, he could feel Michelangelo tense as he heard Hayate breathing hard, whimpering low in his throat—too quiet for anyone to hear—but Don's equipment was picking up every pained octave.

"_Get up." _

Hun's baritone was unmistakable, and Raphael's fists clenched instinctively. Leo unconsciously wrapped a hand around the hilt of a katana, his eyes narrowing.

.xXx.

Grunting, Hayate pushed himself to his feet and leaned against the wall, wiping the trickle of blood from his mouth on the back of his sleeve. Hun towered above him, like he towered over everything, and used his height to his intimidating advantage. Hayate knew he should have shrunk back—like many of his comrades were inclined to do—but he had a stubborn sense of pride that tended to rear its annoying head in situations like these.

"Why did you run?"

"I…I told you…I was in the hospital," Hayate explained, having the sense to keep his eyes respectfully downcast—so he didn't see Hun's viper hand shoot out to seize a fistful of his hair and yank him down as he rammed a knee into the boy's stomach. Hayate lost his breath in an instant, including most of his lunch, and hit the ground with a strangled gasp.

"Bullshit. Immediately after your last failure you disappeared," Hun snarled. "I find that pretty convenient, don't you?"

"Th-the f-f-freaks…j-jump…ed…us…" Hayate coughed weakly, and a mouthful of blood splattered to the floor. "N-needed…do-doc…ter..." He shakily held up the wrist Red had injured—and screamed when Hun smashed it beneath his boot. Then he grabbed Hayate by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the wall.

"Four days!" he roared. "You were missing for four days! It doesn't take that long to mend a damned wrist, you little shit! You _ran away_, that's what happened!"

"I…came back…didn't I?" Hayate retorted, meeting the man's eyes levelly.

"You were lying low, then," Hun conceded scornfully, and released his hold. Hayate dropped to his feet and staggered, hugging his midriff and staring at the red pool dashed across the floor so Hun couldn't see the look in his eyes.

.xXx.

"_Bastard…"_

Hayate had muttered the curse so quietly it hardly left his throat, too soft for Hun to hear, but Raph heard it and grinned.

"Seems even Hun's lackey's hate his guts," he snorted, disdaining.

"_You're a damn good fighter, Black,"_ Hun went on, his footsteps fading as he walked away. _"There's potential in you. If it were not for that, you would be dead where you stand. And as you did have the sense to return, I'll let this little disappearing act of yours slide. But if you ever do this again, you're a dead man. Do I make myself clear?"_

"_Y-yes, Master Hun…"_

"_Good,"_ Hun spat. _"Now get out. You're squad leaves in an hour."_

.xXx.

Hayate nodded and left Hun's office as fast as he could. Trembling, he made for the bathroom to see the damage, careful to check and make sure it was empty before he looked himself over in the mirror. A small boy of seventeen gazed back at him from beneath the rim of a blue Nazi's cap. He was pale and shaking, staring at Hayate with wide mismatched eyes—one hazel, the other blue—his face framed by a head of wavy blonde hair dyed crimson from the wound on his temple. Grimacing, he lifted his shirt to find his ribs and stomach were starting to bruise, and he couldn't move the fingers on his left hand at all anymore. Sighing, he tossed his hat on the counter and set about washing his face and getting the blood out of his hair, trying not to jostle his wrist too much.

It wasn't as if he had not expected this, though. Disappearing for four days, right after their defeat at the hands of those monsters, he wasn't surprised Hun had reached the conclusion he had. He was only lucky he hadn't gotten worse.

"Zere you are."

Hayate jumped and whirled around, instinctively raising his fists—and stopped. A man of thirty or so stood leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe as if that was typically what he did that time of day. His black hair was slicked back from a pair of deep mauve eyes set upon a roughly handsome face. He was dressed in a sort of military outfit, and wearing a long black trench coat that was just shy of brushing the tops of his loose-lace shin-high boots.

His name was Katczinsky.

"Zought I'd find ya here," he grinned, his relaxed expression friendly and amused as he held up the first-aide kit. "Figured ya'd need zis."

Hayate ducked his head and nodded shortly.

"…Yeah."

Katczinsky chuckled soundlessly and walked over, motioning for Hayate to sit up on the sink as he set the box down beside him. They remained silent for a time while the older Dragon tended to Hayate's various hurts, wrapping his head and re-bandaging his wrist with an almost brotherly sort of care. Not long after Hayate had joined the Dragons, Katczinsky had opted to take him under his wing, making it his duty to teach the boy everything he knew and to generally watch out for him. If anything, the Dragons—for the most part—took care of their own and had become the closest thing to family Hayate had known in a long time.

Hayate was suddenly reminded of the weight around his neck, and his gut twisted with guilt. He was betraying this family.

"Nice collar," the man said at length, and Hayate reached up to touch the steel ring. "It fits, ya know? Makes ya look more like a punk. Vhere'd ya get it?"

"Oh…it was a…present," Hayate lied, lamely.

"…From your girlfriend, perhaps?" Katczinsky asked slyly.

"Kat!" Hayate cried, punching his shoulder playfully.

"Boyfriend, zen?"

Hayate gagged. **"**_**NO!**_**"**

"Alright, alright, simmer down," Katczinsky laughed, holding up his hands as a sign of peace and changed the subject. "So…you vere in ze hospital." Hayate nodded, unable to look him in the eye.

"Bastards got us pretty bad, Kat," he replied quietly.

"Ze freaks again?"

"Uh-huh."

"Zat's ze sixth time zis month," Kat sighed, putting a band-aide on a particularly nasty cut across the bridge of Hayate's nose. "Getting' harder ta come by new recruits—much less keep zem—'cause of the turtles. Zere, zat's ze last of it." Kat brushed of his hands and shut the first-aide kit, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "Good zing zere's only four of 'em, zough, eh?"

Suddenly, something clicked into place in Hayate's head. It was so simple, so _obvious_ he was shocked he hadn't thought of it sooner.

"Yeah…" he agreed quietly, as if to himself, nodding as a slow grin began to curl the corners of his mouth. "Yeah, there _are _only four, aren't there?"

.xXx.

"Oh, dudes, I don't like the way he said that," Mikey said, shaking his head.

"I've seen enough movies to know _that_ sorta tone, and I don't like it at _all_."

"He's planning something," Leo growled. "He's planning something, I know it."

"But what?" Don asked, glancing back at his brothers. "Does he know something we don't?"

"Not for long he doesn't," Raph hissed, cracking his knuckles to illustrate his point. "Whatever he's hidin' won't stay that way if I have somethin' ta say about it."

.xXx.

"Vhat vas zat?"

"Never mind, it was nothing really," Hayate replied, and ignored the warning twinge the freaks sent tingling down his spine.

"Vell, ve'd better get going; ze ozers are vaiting for us."

Hayate nodded and followed Katczinsky out of the bathroom and into the pulsing crowd of Dragons milled about what could be described as a common room. Stolen video game consoles lined the walls, and the only source of light came from the disco balls and the swarm of cigarettes burning through a haze of smoke. Bodies were everywhere, outlandish and exotic and rebellious, writhing to the steady beat of heavy metal shaking down the walls.

Hayate allowed himself a smile; he was home. Maybe the freaks had managed to tie him down, but even chained dogs could bite. And Hayate certainly had the teeth to do it.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim any and all claims to any and all characters that by rights do not belong to me, and by the same degree do I hereby claim any and all characters that—by rights—do. **

Finally, the fourth chapter is here! Huzzah! It's been forever, hasn't it? A lot's happened, so I haven't really had time to write. I moved into a new apartment, and my new job's been taking up a lot of my time, so yeah. Not much tie for the turtles or my wonderful little Hayate. Sorry this chapter was so short--I'll try to get the next one up soon.

Also, I got a new pet bunny I originally named Momitchi, but somehow he's become Bun-Bun. I blame my roommate. Anyway, he's the most adorable thing, but also the most infuriating. He's _soooo_ messy, a lot more than I'd expect a little dwarf bunny to be.

And he ripped a few keys off my precious laptop. Ripped. The. Keys. OFF.

I swear, if he weren't so goddamned cute he would be bunny stew by now. I was SO pissed off. But I managed to fix it, so no worries. The M's a little weird, though…

Now I can't think of anything else to say, so see you in the next chapter!

Calfuray


	5. Chapter 5

And then they got it on.  



	6. Thievery at Dusk Fall

**His Majesty's**  
_**DOG**_

**Chapter Six:  
Thievery at Dusk Fall  
**

* * *

Hayate had not wanted to be lookout. He _really_ hadn't. He would have preferred to be in the second-rate jewelry store, scooping up Tiffany knock-offs, and listening for the warning call he knew would be coming. At least that way, he'd be ready for it—for _them_. But his wrist was aching like a bitch, and he couldn't take a breath without shaking—in other words, he was useless and everyone knew it. So it came as no surprise that Kat put him on guard duty—a fairly inactive role, and one which required the least amount of effort. Truthfully, he shouldn't even have been there at all. He _should_ have been at home, preferably asleep on his nice soft cot. 

But this was different. This was punishment. Hun had decided that he go, and Hun's word was not up for discussion. If he bailed now, there was no telling what would happen. But there was no question at all that it would be, in all likelihood, something extremely unpleasant. So Hayate was stuck up on the roof in the pouring rain, uncomfortable, unhappy, and anxiously waiting for the beasts to hurry up and show their damn faces.

It was not so much the knowledge that he'd most likely be the first taken down—in a manner which he suspected would be quick, without warning, and hopefully painless—that was bothering him. It was the _waiting_. He _knew_ they were coming, but he did not know _when_, and it was this that was twisting his gut into knots and forcing his feet to march in endless circles and constantly turning his head, searching searching searching…

They should have been there by now. It wasn't all that far from that stinking hole in the ground they called home—how much longer were they going to take? Seriously, Kat and the others would clear out everything that wasn't nailed down at this rate, so what on earth was taking those bastards so freaking long? They should have been there by now, dammit—

And then it hit Hayate like an oncoming freight train in the night.

They were _toying_ with him. They were _bloody_ _toying_ with him. Those fucking animals were already there, skulking in the shadows somewhere and laughing their ugly heads off while Hayate wound himself tighter and tighter into a sick bundle of nerves with all this ungodly _waiting_.

"You bloody, god damned, freaking…_turtles_!" he shrieked, in want of some better insult but too furious to think of one, and whirled around in an attempt to catch them sneaking up from behind—trying to spot any hint of movement through the downpour, or catch the sound of footsteps over the roaring rain.

Nothing. Nothing at all. But he _knew. _They were there, he was absolutely sure of it, and they would pay for leaving him in suspense like that.

Snatching the whistle from his pocket Hayate clamped it between his teeth, lungs full of thunder louder than anything nature could hope to produce—

—and gagged when the collar suddenly constricted across his windpipe. Coughing, he dropped the whistle as his hands automatically flew to his throat and staggered back…right into a pair of dark sinewy arms that wrapped themselves around him and dragged him kicking into the shadows.

"Don't move."

Hayate's first instinct was to sink his teeth into that soft bit of flesh between the turtle's thumb and forefinger. But then something cold slid under his chin, clinking softly against the collar, and he stilled at once. Fury burned like a white-hot fire iron in his gut, and his stomach twisted into knots: Blue had already made his point with the collar, so he really didn't need to use those bloody swords on top of it all.

"I'm impressed," Blue smirked. "I didn't think you'd be able to sense me like that. You're sharper than I thought."

Hayate snorted and didn't reply. He really hadn't "sensed" anything: he'd just been paranoid, that was all. But he wasn't about to tell Blue that.

"Why so quiet? Usually you can't stop running your mouth—"

"Shut up, freak," Hayate snapped, trying to wriggle out of the turtle's grasp. Blue's grip tightened across Hayate's chest, nearly crushing him against the turtle's plastron. Then with a quick jerk and a snarl, Blue flipped the katana death-end up and punched it straight through Hayate's throat and out the top of his skull.

.xXx.

No, not really. But it seemed like an excellent idea to Leo. Instead, he hurled the boy away from him with a hiss. Hayate staggered, and Leo's hand shot out and grabbed his arm, flipping him over faster than a heartbeat. The Dragon blinked at finding himself suddenly on his back, more surprised than anything else that the turtle had kicked his ass without even hurting him. He had hardly pushed himself to his elbows before Leo was standing over him, eyes slit and teeth bared.

"You're in no position to insult me, kid," he said quietly, the tip of his katana gently tapping against the collar. Hayate glared up at him in silence, defiant. They stayed like that for a long time, and the seconds stretched on into a small eternity.

"What are you planning?" Leo demanded, all business. "'There are only four.' What did you mean by that? I know you aren't stupid—you wanted us to hear it. Why?"

Hayate didn't say anything for a moment. He merely cocked his head slightly and regarded Leo thoughtfully through the rain.

"Answer me!" Leo barked.

"Do you know how many Dragons there are, here in New York?" Hayate asked suddenly, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth.

Leo paused, and shook his head once.

"Ten thousand strong." That hit Leo hard, though he didn't show it, and hayate paused a moent, waiting for it to sink in. "On top of that, there's about a thousand ninja living here, all pledging their allegiance to Master Shredder. And we're recruiting more every day. That's eleven thousand, now, if you couldn't keep up."

"I can add, _tramp_," Leo snapped. "What's your point?"

"Ah, eleven thousand against four? Are you sure you can do math?"

"Last time I checked, your boys could hardly throw a punch, much less take me or one of my brothers down no matter how many there were. It doesn't matter if there are one thousand or one million; we've always mopped the floor with you guys. That won't change any time soon, and I think you'd know _that_ more than anyone."

"And how many nights a week do you crawl out of the sewers?"

Leo bristled, but calmed himself. He refused to let the brat get to him. "We do patrols every night."

"And how many crimes do you stop each time?"

"One, maybe two…" He was beginning to see what Hayate was getting at, and he didn't like it at all.

"Really? That's just if you happen to catch them in the act, right?"

"Yes…"

"You know what I'm saying, don't you?" Hayate said, cocking a grin. "You want me to tell you what the Dragons are doing? You'll have at least forty reports, every one happening at the same time, in a different location, seven nights a week. Think you can keep up?"

Leo wasn't stupid. He'd known that with a spy, they'd be seeing a shell of a lot more action, but this…the reality of it was like a kick in the gut. Abruptly, he felt like all the wind had been knocked out of his lungs, leaving him breathless and overwhelmed. Instinctively, he squared himself like he was facing down an enemy much bigger than he was.

Hayate was just about five foot nothing, with a great deal less mass than any of the turtles, but suddenly Leo was faced with something far more threatening than even the most aggravated Raphael. What Hayate promised was a war, plain and simple. Pointless and never-ending against an army that could never be destroyed because for every man Leo and his brothers took down, ten more would be there to take his place.

He could almost see what was about to happen; the chain of events were lining up before him like a long line of dominoes, and he could have kicked himself for not seeing it sooner. After all, they themselves had set it up from the second they'd collared the Dragon. Before, if they didn't want to fight, then they just didn't go topside. But with a spy, if they heard someone was in trouble they wouldn't be able to ignore it. Sooner or later, they were going to burn out, and that was exactly what Hayate wanted. He planned to set them against the entire New York underground, then sit back and watch them go down in flames.

They'd quickly be overthrown, and it wouldn't be long before even Mikey's seemingly depthless well of energy or Raph's practically boundless passion for a good fight was spent. They'd be exhausted within a week, their moves would get sloppy, and then somebody would make a mistake.

_No…_thought Leo. _We won't be able to keep up, and you know it. Somebody's going to get hurt or killed, and it'll probably be one of us. I don't care what happens to me, but Raph and Don and Mikey…They're my little brothers, and they're all I've got. I have to protect them. _

"Are you going to kill me?" Hayate asked quietly. Leo blinked, and something deep in his chest trembled when he realized he'd taken his sword in both hands and moved to stand over the boy in an executioner's stance.

…_I have to protect them…_

"I can't let you put my family in danger," Leo said, sliding the blade under Hayate's chin and lifting his head, ignoring the awful feeling in his gut. The boy's eyes narrowed and he clenched his teeth, his whole body tensing in recoil. He was scared, but he was angry, too.

"I'm not the one who started this!" He cried, his voice harsh and accusing. Leo faltered, unable to meet his gaze. The kid was right. _They_ were the ones who had collared him, and now that he'd found a way to fight back Leo was just going to kill him?

_Dishonorable…_whispered his sickened heart.

_You'd risk your family for honor?_ snarled an infuriated voice in his head, thick and vaguely reminiscent of Raph's thick Brooklyn tongue. _He's the bad guy!_

But this was _wrong_. Hayate was wounded and without a weapon; Leo could not cut him down in cold blood. Not like that. Quietly, Leo back away and sheathed his katana. Their eyes met, just for few seconds, through the pouring rain, and something passed between them.

It was an acknowledgement, one that bound their souls together in a way that they themselves did not understand in a pact that could not be broken.

Sacred.

_We are enemies now, you and I_, it said, echoing in both their hearts. _Let us fight each other until death do us part._

It was something that had happened to Leo only once before, not with the Shredder, but with Karai. No matter how hard he fought against her, it was always her unwavering sense of nobility that stayed his hand from landing that final blow. Much like Karai, the dog of the Dragons was a creature of desperate courage, of cunning, of loyalty. But unlike Karai, where the pact lay in her honor, this was founded—ironically, since it had cost them so much trouble—in his steadfast defiance. No matter what, Hayate did not give up, and it was this that demanded Leo's respect.

"All right," Leo murmured. "Let's see how far this goes, then. Bring your Dragons, we're ready for them."

And then he was gone. It was like the night had simply come and swallowed him whole, without sound nor warning, and Hayate was left alone in the dark. Or almost. There was a whisper that lingered in the air, and it drifted back to Hayate on the wind to toy with the hairs on the back of his neck and to run chilled fingers up his spine.

"_I'll be watching you…Black Hayate."_

.xXx.

"Ahhh, bastard…" the Dragon muttered, and clambered unsteadily to his feet. Fishing around in his back pocket for a lighter and his pack of cigarettes, Hayate moved indoors out of the rain and plopped down on at the top of the stairs. The box of Camels was almost empty save for one last stick, but he'd never touched the things anyway. They were mainly or appearances—what was a Dragon without smokes? But other than that, it did have it's other uses, and he was pleased to find that it was just the right size for Blue's…what had Purple called them? Ah. Shell-cells. That was it.

Tugging a screwdriver from his boot, he turned over the device in his hands and began taking it apart. The first thing to go was the rather inconvenient tracking chip that had been installed, which he promptly crushed under his heel. Then he ripped off the turtle-shell cover, along with anything else unnecessary, and tossed them down the stairs in the hope that the police would find it later. As Hayate was wearing gloves, they'd only find one pair of finger prints.

_And I hope they hunt you down and dissect you, _he thought viciously. But that was probably a futile wish—at most Blue would just think he'd dropped it. He suspected that Blue was very careful with his things, and hoped that this wouldn't be too sorely missed.

After about ten minutes of trial and error, pressing various buttons to see what would happen, and all around tinkering Hayate had a pretty good idea of how the shell-cell worked. It was basically a customized cell phone, complete with a GPS system, MP3 player, and caller ID. It even had Frogger, though it didn't look like anyone had bothered to play it.

What came in most handy, though, was the screen indicating where the other shell-cells were. At present, the red, orange, purple and black—which, after some consideration, Hayate decided must be himself—markers were congregated around the center, while a fourth (grey) was off in the upper right. There were two others, but instead of colored dots, they were letters: A and C.

_Fool proof,_ he thought sneeringly. _Even an idiot like Orange could figure this thing out._

The first three were obvious, and the grey one had to be the rat, but the last pair…Perhaps the woman with the pretty eyes he'd seen before had one. What was it the turtles had called her? May? August? It had something to do with a month, anyway.

The point of the matter, however, was that—with the exception of Blue (which was rather worrisome)—the turtles wouldn't be able to sneak up on him. A little more work and he'd be able to listen in on anything they said over the cells. He was still at a major disadvantage, but at least it was something. Stowing the device in a pocket, he set off into the rain to put some distance between himself and the jewelry store before the approaching sirens got any closer.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Disclaimer: Own the turtles? Not me.**

FINALLY! Chapter six is finished! Sorry it took so long, folks. Lotta stuff's been going on. For instance, I'm currently sitting in a social security office, listening to Canon in D guitar rock by JerryC (It's awesome!), waiting to get a replacement SS card because—and I hate to admit it—my other one got lost. I was trying to beat the rain home (this summer's been the wettest EVER) and ended up falling on my silly arse. My wallet fell out of my crappy piece of crap purse, and I was too scraped up to think about checking to make sure it hadn't. By the time I realized it was gone, it was too late. Fortunately, I didn't lose any money, so that's good.

Well, enough of my whining. I'm actually really excited cause I'm off to Dallas this weekend for the Anime Fest. I can't wait, it's supposed to be in a four star hotel that's HUGE. My friends've been working their tails off pulling together their costumes. I really would have liked to go as Rei Ayanami from _Neon Genesis Evangelion_, but the costume won't be ready by then. For those of you who have seen it, I'll be in that awesome plug-suit she wears whenever she fights in her giant robot. For those of you who don't know what the hell I'm talking about, go watch the anime!

As for the story, the reason it took so long wasn't because I had writer's block (for once). I actually haven't been able to STOP thinking about it, which was he problem. I've gotten overwhelmed with too any ideas, and no idea what to do with them. For a while I wanted to the story to go in two different directions. It was almost as bad as having no ideas at all. Almost.

Also, in reference to chapter five, no that was not a glitch. That's actually all it was. My friends put me up to it, I swear! I mean, come on, tell me that wasn't funny. Well, at least half of you will, at any rate. I got mixed reactions of 'what the hell is this…?' and 'That's hilarious!' Well, I promise, I won't do it again, and hopefully this makes up for it.

Hope you enjoyed chapter six, and those to come!

Over and out,

Calfuray


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